Helen Heins Peterson | Two Tigers Gallery
22175
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Helen Heins Peterson

Two Tigers Gallery / Helen Heins Peterson
Coffee Table – Dolls

Coffee Table – Dolls

In HHP
Coffee Table – Fishy

Coffee Table – Fishy

In HHP
Folding Table

Folding Table

In HHP
Night Stand

Night Stand

In HHP

Biography

Helen loves the unexpected in both color and design. Her color sense is intuitive and she prefers not to follow rules when composing her drawings and designs.

Many of her drawings appear to be an “overall” design when seen from a distance, but when observed more closely, one sees a lot of detail and subject matter. It takes more than a casual glance to really see each piece. Children respond to the detail more than adults do because they are natural storytellers.

Conversely, she enjoys simplicity. Some of her pieces are very simple in color and design and serve as relaxation from the concentration needed in the more detailed pieces. Her style is continually evolving, but humor is an important part of her creativity.

Her present method of artistic expression grows from a culmination of experiences as a student of art and education at St. Olaf College and her further forays into art at the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and her experiences as an art teacher, a retailer, a gallery owner, and an independent artist.

Helen’s art is represented in galleries and shops all over the Midwest and in Houston and Austin, Texas.

What is the process?

Helen’s original works are created using colored markers, colored pencils and thinned latex paint. on wood. Each piece is truly one-of-a-kind. Helen’s special technique allows the grain of the wood to show through her work in a uniquely translucent way.

  • Helen first draws the design freehand on the wood in pencil.
  • The pencil drawing is then outlined in black ink.
  • Helen colors in with colored markers, pencils and thinned latex paint. Colors are shaded and overlapped to achieve unusual and new colors. All three mediums are used.
  • The piece is coated with six to eight coats of clear finish, with some sanding in between coats.
  • Finally, paste wax is applied with ’0000′ steel wool and then buffed to a clear shine.

The irregularities and variations of shading and texture are characteristics of letting the wood grain show through. The dents and bumps indicate the life of the wood before its final coloration. These characteristics add to the natural beauty of each piece and should in no way be considered defects.

You could say that each piece is very labor intensive, plus a combines a lifetime of studying and learning.